Book Review: The Body Keeps the Score

I think this might just take the title of ‘Best Book I’ve Read This Year’. Because wow. This book examines over 30 years of psychology in practice. Van Der Kolk draws on his initial training - looking back to the 70s and working with returning Vietnam veterans. Trauma in the 70’s was grossly misunderstood and underfunded. It wouldn’t have surprised anyone if a few therapists still thought humans were ruled by the ‘humours’ as described by our Renaissance forefathers. Over time, therapy expands and explores the depths of neurology; understanding the brain and how it affects the way we think, the way we feel and how trauma affects our neurological pathways.

I think some of the most impactful statements came from new developments in understanding how we process trauma. Some patients still feel pain, years after the stitches have been removed and all the physical wounds have been healed. Flashbacks are a big problem, overcoming them is hard and learned behaviours that have kept us safe can be difficult to break and change. Re-living hurtful experiences or re-telling painful stories was seen as a tool for traumatised people to feel anything at all.

I did get a little lost in the science of it - I’m not a scientist but I was able to grasp that new developments in how we treat trauma have a dramatic effect on quality of life. I think my favourite was understanding and looking at how we can change certain wavelengths in the brain. Put it very loosely, it changes how we think and feel for the better. Most notable was childhood development, a child drew his family before the first session and drew stick figures. But in the last session, he was drawing fully formed people with faces, hair, bodies, arms and legs. It was beautiful to see the process of development, you can’t change the past - what happened happened, but that doesn’t mean the future has to suck.

I was delighted to see that the arts are being used as ways to calm patients down and explore their traumatic events in a way where they can gain perspective on what happened to them, but more importantly, healing. Theatre is a great example. Using Shakespeares’ greatest speeches to inhibit their trauma and articulate their pain - works such as Richard II, Henry V and Julius Ceasar all used to help people heal. But some of the great challenges come with this, the arts in schools all over the world are being consistently cut left right and centre. Some schools and even hospitals do not always have the resources to invest in alternate programs to help with trauma, even when all the data says it’s vital.

Honestly, I took my time with this book because everything Van Der Kolk said felt important. It is a momentous book and so full of understanding and empathy. I’m not sure I could recommend this book more - there is a lot of material to get through and I believe it was written to help people, especially those who have been through hell and for those who know people who have been through hell. Or perhaps, this book turns the lightbulb on and leads you to start therapy for yourself.